Planning for TOD Implementation at a
Corridor Scale
Catherine Cox Blair, Reconnecting America
Presentation to Northwest Corridor Working Group
November 6, 2013
What is Reconnecting America?
• Reconnecting America is a national nonprofit
that advises civic and community leaders on how
to overcome community development challenges
to create better communities for all.
• Reconnecting America develops research and
innovative public policy, while also building on-
the-ground partnerships and convening players
needed to accelerate decision-making.
2 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Reconnecting America Scope of Work
• Existing Conditions Analysis
• Corridor reconnaissance
• Baseline maps and data
• Corridor Profile
• Issues and Barriers
• Recommendations for next steps and implementation
• Support to the Corridor Working Group
3 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Scales of TOD
Sample bullet slide text
• Scales of TOD
• The Transit Corridor
• Types of Corridors
• Objectives and Strategies for Transit and TOD at the Corridor
Level
4 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Station areas
serve as
origins or
destinations
The mix of
origins &
destinations
defines the
corridor type
Office Destination
Residential Origins
Office and Retail Destination
Office and Research Destination
Residential Origins
Station Areas Play Different Roles within
the Corridor & Region
Three Types of Corridors
Destination Connectors
Commuter Corridors
District Circulators
Overlap between each “type”
in real life, but it can be a
helpful way to think about
the connection between
land use and
transportation.
6 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
7
Why do Corridor-Level Planning?
Clarifies the corridor type and nodes
• Using the corridor types just discussed, can begin to
understand how corridors within a network differ from one
another
• Identify the roles that different nodes along one corridor will
play
8 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Integrates regional transportation and local
land use perspectives
• Regional planners Understand
the importance transportation and
transit networks, corridor
alignments, last mile connections
• Local Planners Understand the
needs of existing nodes and land
use potential along the corridor.
Example
• Southwest Corridor in the Twin
Cities considered two alignments
• Stakeholder engagement along
corridor helped choose alignment
that connected to major job
centers
9 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Increases Efficiency of Planning and
Implementation
• Identify shared challenges
along a corridor
• Create one plan or resource
that multiple jurisdictions
can implement or use
• Identify existing amenities:
i.e., not every node along a
well-connected corridor
needs a grocery
• Identify short term vs long
term needs
10 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Creates Momentum for Implementation
• Especially true for places
building new transit corridor
• Easier to get people excited
about major investment
• Once they’ve bought into the
potential benefits transit can
provide
• Easier to get residents, public
agencies, developers, etc on
board to implementing corridor
vision
11 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
• The stakes are higher at the corridor scale, and a diverse set of players can come to the table.
• Thinking beyond their station
Example:
• Community wanted more stops in their community (instead of the new transit passing them by)
• With cities and other support, advocated for a change in the federal funding rules
12 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Invigorates stakeholder engagement
• Public resources for are
limited and demand is
high
• Phased Implementation
Plan can:
• Focus public dollars
• Facilitate market driven
projects
• Direct neighborhood
change or stabilization
• Identify where major
investment should
happen today
• Support capacity building
or community planning
13 © 2010 Reconnecting America.
Allows for prioritization of limited resources
New
affordable
housing
Preserve
existing
affordable
housing Support local
businesses
Sidewalk
improvements
and
streetscape
Parks and
open
space Pedestrian
and bike
improvements
14
Identify Range of Needs and Opportunities
Getting to Consensus on Priority TOD Locations
Two Goals for TOD in Baltimore:
• Facilitate and generate
momentum for market driven
TOD investment at the
regional level
• Direct the velocity and
trajectory of neighborhood
change at the local level.
Different Indicators Depending
on the Goal
• Market opportunity
• Demographic change
Getting to Consensus on Priority TOD Locations
• West Line Corridor Collaborative, a 501 (c)3
• City & County of Denver
• City of Lakewood
• Denver Housing Authority
• MetroWest Housing Solutions
• West Line Corridor Working Group also includes:
• General Services Administration – Denver Federal Center
• Regional Transportation District
• Denver Regional Council of Governments
• Urban Land Conservancy
• Other Developers / Stakeholders
Completed Planning Studies along the Corridor
Completed Planning Studies along the Corridor
Station Area Plan Residential (# units) Office (s.f.) Retail (s.f .)
10TH & OSAGE 800 to 900 0 0
AURARIA WEST 1,760 to 2,400 436,000 to 2.4 million 65,400 to 910,000
FEDERAL 3,580 510,000 165,00 KNOX AND PERRY 6,000 to 8,000 215,000 0
SHERIDAN (Denver) 2,550 35,000 to 62,500 206,000
Sheridan (Lakewood) 570 to 1,020 35,000 to 62,500 68,000 to 117,500 Lamar Station 1,100 to 1,500 15,000 to 20,000 35,000 to 50,000
COLFAX CORRIDOR DISTRICT 750 to 1,500 Minimal increase 0
Wadsworth Station 1,800 to 2,750 175,000 to 570,000 926,000 to 1.3 million Garrison Station 300 to 475 10,000 to 15,000 5,000 to 10,000
Oak Station 1,210 to 2,000 1.5 to 2.0 million 885,000 to 1.2 million
Federal Center / GSA 1,400 3.2 million 212,000
Union Corridor DISTRICT 700 to 1,200 2.3 to 3.5 million 485,000 to 775,000
+29,000
Units
+12.5MM SF +4.9MM SF
West Corridor Typology - Destination Connector
The West Corridor is an example of a “destination connector” corridor. Destination connectors link
residential neighborhoods to multiple activity centers, including employment, medical, and
commercial centers and academic campuses
Goal: Create a balance of Housing Options, reducing
Housing and Transportation Costs and VMTs’
Goal: Provide Community Services and Amenities
that promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
Goal: Invest in public infrastructure that promotes bike and
pedestrian connections and enhances station access.
West Corridor
Station Types
• RESIDENTIAL
• BALANCED
• EMPLOYMENT
Goal: Recognize diversity of existing neighborhoods and
build on community strengths.
The West Corridor
Working Group
Corridor
Communities
Require
Diverse
Implementation
Strategies
West Corridor
Implementation Strategies
• TRANSITIONAL
• INTENSIFICATION
• NEIGHBORHOOD INFILL
Goal Prioritize development opportunities along the corridor
Key Recommendations
Create a permanent West Corridor Collaborative
Engage new partners in the implementation activities of the
West Corridor
Develop a marketing and branding plan to promote the West
Corridor
Coordinate funding sources and development activities to
promote TOD implementation within each city
West Line Corridor Collaborative
The West Line Corridor Collaborative is a multi-jurisdictional and
multi-agency partnership of public and private agencies
coordinating efforts to attract quality investment and support livable
communities along the West Line light rail corridor, located within
the Cities of Denver, Lakewood and Golden and unincorporated
Jefferson County, Colorado.
The West Line Corridor Collaborative has filed for 501(c)(3) non-
profit status. To learn more about the West Line Corridor
Collaborative, please contact [email protected].
Catalytic Projects at Transformative Stations
10th & Osage Sheridan
Federal Center
Union Blvd.
Federal/Decatur
Sheridan
Lamar
Federal Center
Union Blvd. 10th & Osage
Full document available at:
www.westlinecorridor.org
Thank you!
Catherine Cox Blair
Reconnecting America
EMAIL: [email protected] PHONE: (303) 861-1420
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